After being accepted into the Syndicate, the first order of business Azrael had on his to-do list was get his den set up. Having somewhere to sleep and get his interrogation room operational was critical to his existence in the pack; if he didn't have somewhere to rest and perform his work, then what good was he? There were plenty of options, but Azrael already knew exactly where he wanted to den as soon as he laid eyes upon the offshore volcanic island. The island was beautiful, had the advantage of being protected on all sides by arctic waters, and the mountains would undoubtedly offer fantastic views for miles. Leading Mireia through the Sound to the ice bridge that connected the island to mainland Boreas, Az carried his rucksack of his personal belongings across the channel until his paws went from snow-dusted ice to the pebbly shore of the inert volcano. The ground beneath his paws still held residual warmth from the heart of the earth and was a pleasant surprise to be sure. Perhaps there would be other remnants of volcanic activity they could take advantage of, like pockets of hot springs or warmer geothermal cave systems.

Azrael didn't waste time leading Mireia up the natural paths in the mountains that formed the rim of the massive volcano, climbing higher and higher until they neared the summit, not quite to the top but high enough to see across the northern coasts of Boreas and out over the vast sea to the east. After poking about in a few openings in the rock, Az found his perfect home. It was a sizable cave system hollowed into the igneous rock stretching from one side of the mountain to the other, forming a natural tunnel into the heart of Ardens Glácies and out to the shore. It also permitted a nice cross breeze through the cave, which while cold now would be a boon in the summer months. For now, they could drape furs over both entrances to keep out the draft. Just as he had suspected, the igneous rock still held some remnants of warmth radiating up through the earth from whatever molten core had once been the beating heart of this volcano. It wasn't a tremendous amount of warmth, but it would help keep the den comfortable through the colder months. There were several smaller chambers branching off from the main chamber which could serve as additional rooms as needed.

Azrael inspected each chamber before concluding with a resolute nod. Yes, this would do nicely. It would need some work to get it the way he wanted it, but this would be their home. Drooping his head to let his rucksack slide off from around his neck, Az scooped up the bag and dropped it on a slab of stone they could use as a table of sorts. They would need some things from the pack stores or collected on their own. "This will be my den. Most Sidi have their own space near their masters, but you can stay in here too if you wish. Pick whichever room you want—except for that big chamber. That one's mine." Glancing up to Mireia, Az added, "We'll need some thick furs to cover the entrances. I'll need softer ones for my bed."

"Azrael Saxe"

As they walked through the territory of their new pack, she began to feel as though this place wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. The space the Syndicate claimed on the main land was still quite terrible, but the island that Azrael led her toward seemed to have some perks in comparison. At the very least they were moving away from the grusome and quite unpleasant smelling display at the border and instead were stepping onto slightly warmed volcanic rock. This was still a pretty desolate landscape compared to the lush lands of Auster where they had previously been, but she supposed she could get used to it.

Eventually Azrael seemed to settle on one particular cave that appeared to suit his needs and she looked around herself while he unloaded his belongings and inspected the rooms that branched off of the main chamber. As long as she had somewhere comfortable to lay at night and he kept her fed she couldn't complain too terribly much, but this place would certainly need some sprucing up to make it a comfortable space to live. Of course she doubted that Azrael cared much about the aesthetic of the place–most brutes didn't–but that's what she was here for. She turned to face him as he spoke, declaring this place his den and saying that most Sidi kept a space near their masters, but that she could live here with him if she wished. She raised a brow at that, surprised that she'd even have the option to be anywhere else. All of her previous masters had been very insistent on her sharing their bed each night and considering how controlling he had appeared to be she had assumed he would be the same.

She considered the option for a moment. Perhaps she ought to take the chance to have a bit of her own freedom for the first time in her life, but at the same time she had to begin finding ways to make herself stand out to him from the other Sidi and show how she was not just some toy to throw away the way he had apparently done to his previous slaves. She stepped toward the largest chamber that he had indicated would be his, mostly ignoring what had probably intended to be demands of some sort about furs for the entrances and his bed. She was no hunter and he was foolish if he thought a little thing like her would be. She hummed thoughtfully as she walked into the bedroom with a swishing sway of her tail, giving a little nod. "This is plenty big enough for the both of us, mi maestro." Turning back toward him again with a grin she added, "How else will I be able to take care of you morning and night if I am not here?"

"Mireia"

Azrael had expected some sort of response or sign of acknowledgement from Mireia, but instead he heard nothing but the click of her claws on the stone floor. Turning from his unpacking for a moment to look after her with a furrowed brow, the Saxe brute caught sight of his supple little Sidi's fluffy tail swaying back and forth from her shapely rump while she walked into the room he had claimed as his bedchamber. She seemed to be studying the space, inspecting it for some reason... What on earth was she up to? Abandoning his unpacking, Azrael followed Mireia into the empty space, watching her do a 360 and then nod in approval. She then declared that this would be plenty large enough for the two of them. Azrael's furrowed brows deepened. She... wanted to stay with him? Had she not realized what kind of brute he was? There was a reason all of his other Sidi had opted to have their own spaces separate, but close by. Or was she truly so depraved that she enjoyed imagining what he could do to her?

As if reading his mind, Mireia met his gaze with those ruby red eyes and a sultry grin as she explained how she'd need to share his bed if she was to take care of him morning and night. Azrael's confused expression shifted into one of realization, a brow raising in silent curiosity. She really was a horny little minx, wasn't she? The violet and ebony brute took pause, considering her words and studying her body language, as if assessing her for any signs of falsehoods. "I suppose you are right," he agreed, his words spoken slowly and measured. "And I do look forward to enjoying you 'taking care of me' every opportunity you get." Azrael was a lecherous beast; his appetite was never sated for long, as Mireia would come to learn. Keeping her close by would be a boon for his libido.

"Well, if we're sharing a bed, then we'd best make sure it's large and comfortable enough to support our... vigorous activities." The Saxe brute shot a lustful grin at his little striped Sidi, motioning with his head back out toward the rest of the island. "The Syndicate has collected stockpiles of materials we'll need. Furs for our bedding. Go sort through them. Find your favorites, then bring them back here and make a bed for us. As soon as that's done..." Azrael stepped closer to Mireia, almost pressing their chests together as he grinned down at her, that hungry predatory look in his sage green eyes again. "I'll be putting it to the test with you." He'd given her a task. Select the best furs she liked for their bed, then he was going to fuck her into those furs to break them in. He left the rest of the details up to her. He just wanted to see what results he got from Ria.

"Azrael Saxe"

She could see him contemplating and scrutinizing her as she willingly suggested and almost insisted that they share this bedroom, the Saxe brute seemingly not believing at first that she would want to do such a thing when he had offered and expected her a separate space. Eventually he seemed to accept that she wasn't trying to trick him or lie to him. She most certainly was not lying–she did want to share a bed with him–though she might not have been fully truthful in her reasons. Keeping him satisfied day and night was one of the only ways she had found in her short life that could guarantee that he'd keep her around and at least mostly in one piece. It was only a convenient benefit that he was attractive and well endowed so her work on him was quite enjoyable.

He returned to the topic of materials for the bed, citing the need for it to be large and comfortable enough for their activities. She returned his grin and chuckled with a tempting swish of her tail as it curled over her back. "I couldn't agree more." Ah, but he did in fact expect her to gather the materials for it. At the very least he explained that the pack had a store of furs and that she simply needed to go retrieve her favorites. Well, she still didn't like it, but it was better than any failed attempts to hunt the animals herself. He stepped closer till their chests were pressed into one another and she had to tip her head back to look up into his green gaze. His promise that they would be putting the bed to the test as soon as she was done with it was met with a purring sound of delight and a sly grin as she tipped her muzzle up to give his chin a teasing lick. "I do hope that is a promise, " guapo," she replied before slipping away from him, her tail curling under his chin as she went.

She followed what seemed like some well worn paths and where the most of the scents seemed to congregate until she finally figured out where these stockpiles that Azrael spoke of were located. There was indeed a good collection of furs and supplies here so she set to work pulling out the more plush and appealing of the furs that could be the top layer of their bed and some that were a little less soft, but they were thicker and would be good padding for the under layers of the bed. By the time she was done there was probably more furs than she could carry, at least not in one trip, but she was confident that it would made an excellent bed. She scooped up a few of them and draped them across her back to start carrying them back to the den. She certainly didn't like this manual labor, but it was certainly better than fishing dangerous fish! She dropped off the first load, waving a paw at Azrael as she passed and telling him, "Ah! No peek! I need more!" After another trip to the supply store to get the rest of what she had picked out and a bit of time of arranging, layering, and adjusting, she was finally done and she stood back to look at the spacious, plush bed that now dominated the center of the bedroom. "Azraeeeeel!" she called with a sing-song tone to her voice, grinning as she settled down across the bed and stretched out on her belly. "I'm doooone!"

"Mireia"

If there was one thing Azrael was especially good at, it was knowing what things motivated a wolf to do what he pleased of them. Carrots, sticks, it was all the same. Mireia was a wolf enticed by the physical pleasures of her body, and so he would use those pleasures to tempt her to do as he bid her. She still didn't seem thrilled with the idea of having to build their bed, but somebody had to do it, and he'd be damned if he was going to do all the work getting their home set up while she lounged about. She was his godsdamn Sidi after all, and it would serve her well to remember her place in this order. Still, after tempting her with the promise of wild sex after her work was completed, Mireia purred with delight and set off to complete her task, teasing him with a brush of her fluffy tail beneath his chin on her way out. Lecherous green eyes followed the wobble of her shapely ass with each step out of the cave until she was gone, an appreciative rumble in his chest as he set back to his own work.

Azrael continued to unpack his rucksack and piece together his chemistry and alchemy sets, taking stock of things he would need to gather again. More vials would be essential for his injectors, as would a healthy collection of herbs. Those could be gathered in time though, and for now he could pilfer from whatever stockpile the Syndicate had gathered so far. Some time amidst his setting up, Az saw Mireia return to their den with a sizable bundle of furs draped across her back. He met her ruby gaze when she walked by, a snarky smirk on his lips as he resisted the urge to make a snide comment about her working hard, deciding it was probably best not to antagonize her just yet. But when she started to head out again, the Saxe brute shot a curious glance at her, then back at their bedroom when she waved a paw at him and told him not to peek. How many furs was she getting in there?!

As tempting as it was to disobey her direction, Azrael knew he'd get to see the results of her work soon enough, so he continued to unpack some of his familial mementos from Saffron to decorate the den with. A pristine gilded hourglass, a golden coin, his father's original pestle and mortar set. As he was busying himself hanging some thicker furs over the mouths of the cave to keep out the cold, Mireia returned with another sizable bundle of furs, getting another curious glance from Az. He said nothing, leaving her to her own devices until her voice sang out to him from their bedchamber, summoning him inside with a lyrical call of his name. Azrael hung his now empty rucksack and cloak from a rocky outcropping beside the mouth of the cave, then turning and making his way into the bedroom. The sight that greeted him upon entering their private space brought him to a stop mid-stride. A massive bed of piled up furs dominated the entirety of the space, neatly and deliberately arranged. Lying in the center of the bed was one very seductive-looking Mireia, her slender body stretched out as she lay on her belly. Her grin and enticing "come hither" eyes earned her a slowly growing grin from the lecherous brute as he unabashedly eye-fucked her, sage eyes roaming over every subtle and pronounced curve of her body from tail to nose.

"Well well, look at all this," Azrael remarked with a rumbling purr in his husky voice, slowly sauntering his way towards her. His paws climbed over the bed, feeling the plush softness under his toes and delighting at the sensation. Mireia had done a good job assembling a perfect bed for them to enjoy. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" he teased her as he came to settle down on the bed beside her, draping one large paw and strong foreleg around her side to pull her svelte body snugly against his, his digits gliding over her hip and side to delicately brush through her soft fur. "Now how about we break this bed in with a different kind of physical labor." Bringing his muzzle to the back of Mireia's neck, Az brushed his muzzle through his Siri's scruff, breathing in her delectable scent while he nibbled at her fur and skin, his paw sliding round to stroke along her warm underbelly.

"Azrael Saxe"